State Rep. Parent Trigger Bill will give parents a greater voice in school governance

ATLANTA – A Georgia state representative says he is planning to push for a so-called Parent Trigger Bill during the upcoming legislative session.

State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, says the measure will give parents a greater voice in school governance by making it easier for parents to petition to convert their existing traditional public school into a local public charter school. That, he contends, gives parents more control over their children’s education while increasing flexibility for schools to improve student achievement.

“We have been working with parents and educators on this issue for some time,” Lindsey said in a statement. “However, the events at North Atlanta High School highlight the need for this kind of legislation. Parents, students, and school staff were completely cut out of the decision making process. That is no way to instill needed confidence to improve our schools.”

Added Lindsey: “An integral part of improving education in Georgia is greater parent buy-in to their children’s education. The parent trigger proposal will assist parents with this in both well-established and struggling low performance schools. A quality education for all of our state’s children is critical to their future and ours. All parents should be given a greater voice in achieving this.”